The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens Hawkeri, commercially known as New Guinea Impatiens, and known by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Purityxe2x80x99. Purity was developed in a controlled breeding program by crossing Waller Seedling No. 94-2A-70-1 (seed parent) with Waller Seedling No. 93-1A-600 (pollen parent). Both parents are proprietary breeding lines which have not been sold or made publicly available in this country.
Asexual reproduction carried out by Oglevee, Ltd. in Connellsville, Pa. by terminal or stem cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.
The following combination of characteristics distinguish the new Impatiens from both its parent varieties and other cultivated Impatiens of this type known and used in the floriculture industry:
1. Purity has white flowers of White Group 155C as do both of Celebration White (patent pending) and Innocence (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,789).
2. Purity has a larger flower (6.0 to 6.5 cm) than that of Innocence (5.0 to 5.5 cm) but similar in size to the flower of Celebration White.
3. Purity has bright green leaves with no variegation while Innocence has bright green leaves with variegation and Celebration White has dull green leaves with no variegation.
4. Purity has 7 to 8 cm long leaves which are similar to Innocence and smaller than Celebration White (10 to 11 cm).
5. Purity has a light green spur similar to Innocence while Celebration White has a red-purple cast to the lower part of the spur.
6. Purity has a pure white mature flower bud while Celebration White has a pinkish cast to the flower bud.
7. Purity has no anthocyanin pigment in the stems while Celebration White and Innocence have some anthocyanin pigment, particularly around the nodes.
8. Purity has a more mounded growth habit than Celebration White and Innocence which are more upright in habit.